Heinrich Schliemann
1822–1890 · German (Neubukow) · Victorian Era
Known for: Self-made millionaire who proved Homer's Troy was real by excavating it—though he destroyed half the evidence in his haste
Schliemann was a grocer's son who became fabulously wealthy, then devoted his fortune to proving Homer's Iliad was real. He excavated Hissarlik in Turkey, uncovering Troy, and found gold he called 'Priam's Treasure' (actually from a much earlier period).
He also excavated Mycenae, discovering the 'Mask of Agamemnon.' He was brilliant, obsessive, and careless by modern archaeological standards—he destroyed layers of evidence in his haste. He was also a compulsive liar about his personal history.
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